Teen earns Young Woman Achievement Award

Friday

Sep 22, 2017 at 10:20 AMSep 22, 2017 at 10:20 AM

Ivy Michaela Mull, 18, of Shelby, recently completed six years of intensive work earning her Young Women’s (YW) Recognition Award through her participation in the Personal Progress program in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The YW Recognition Award is the pinnacle achievement for a teenage girl participating in the program.

To earn her award, Mull had to conduct a variety of projects focused on service, faith, and increasing her talents or skills. Some of these projects included sewing a baby blanket for her nephew, learning to play the acoustic guitar, mastering some cooking skills, cleaning houses for others, baking cookies, learning new dances every year to teach at the local LDS Church’s summer Girls Camp, and starting a Mormon Instagram account that anyone can join (mormonsgetit). Additionally, Mull read the entire Book of Mormon and watched 11-hours of the LDS Church’s live General Conference broadcasts over a weekend while journaling her feelings about the conference talks.

Mull says, “The belief from family members and leaders that I could do this motivated me and pushed me to finish. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this program. I’ve learned and grown so much because of it.”

Mull adds that participating in the Personal Progress program prepares her for the future.

“Whether it be budgeting, cooking, teaching or even sewing, everything that I’ve learned from this will be a huge help,” she said.

Mull’s parents, Scott and Lana, are duly pleased in her accomplishment.

“We’re so very proud of (Ivy) for accomplishing such a worthy goal and for learning all the things that helped (her) get to this point.”

Mull received her Recognition Award certificate and accompanying medallion at the beginning of the Sunday service of the Shelby LDS ward.

The LDS YW organization established the Personal Progress program during the late 19th century to strengthen the faith, knowledge, and capabilities of teenage girls who participate in the program. To earn the YW Recognition Award, young women between the ages of 12 and 18 must complete several “value experiences” and one “value project” for each of the eight Young Women’s organization values which are faith, divine nature, individual worth, knowledge, choice and accountability, good works, integrity and virtue. Each project must take at least 10 hours to complete.